Going To Sea
 

Before I went to pre-sea school (Warsash) I lived in Hong Kong (service brat) and spent many happy hours gazing at the "Fragrant Harbour" and all the ships anchored or on the buoys. I never ceased to be amazed at the number of ships of all shapes, types and sizes, so there was little doubt what job I would end up doing. I was never that taken by the warships but the cargo ships did it for me.

When the Careers Officer - flown out from UK at vast expense no doubt - came to the school all he could offer was trainee retail management - Woolies and the like! When I said the 'sea' he changed tack and said "Royal Navy, excellent choice young man". When I enlightened him and said Merchant Navy he said, and I'll never forget this, " You can't do that it's full of drunks and ne'er-do-wells" Red rag to a bull if ever there was one! He refused to help so I made contact with British Council in HK and they were very helpful and by and by got me into sea school.:bounce:

Reminds me of when I went to India Buildings for travel documents. I had been, since very early morning, on my Moto Cross and didn't have time to fully change. Spattered with mud, I admit that I looked a little dishevelled.

I took my younger brothers over with me and, once in India Buildings (5th Floor?) we "raided" the free drinks machine - Soup, coffeee, tea, hot chocolate etc. They thought it was great!

Some office wallahs came up and one said,"You cannot be here, you will have to LEAVE!".

I recovered my soup, doubled over and swung on him, rising to full height, I just grunted,"Sea Staff!".

The office wallahs almost made the sign of the cross and retreated against the nearest wall, muttering, with wide eyes and mouth agape!

A very good laugh, thinking about the mythical "Sea Staff" who actually "did the job"!

Rgds.
Dave

My Dad would have appreciated your tale Dave!
He told me that when he reported back to the office in London after he survived the sinking of the Empire Norseman in 1943, a snotty (as Dad put it) office junior asked Dad, in a superior tone of voice, why he was there, who he was supposed to see an so on. Dad was in his civvies, having had to throw his uniform away after the sinking, and not yet been to Gardiners in Aldgate for a new one.

"Listen son, my last ship was Empire Norseman, and in case you didn't know, it was sunk."

"Oh, sorry sir, step this way please sir, please sit there sir, can I get you anything sir? "

Dad always had a chuckle about that incident.

My first day at P&O in the supers office two of us being interviewed by Mr Girvin, he came in eyed us up down and said we do not employ people with a garish tie like that, I suggest you go round Miller Raynor and get a respectable tie he said speaking to the other person. My tie met with P&O approval eventually both of us joined the same ship.

Nice story!

I remember going to meet up with other engineers and their wives to see a good local band in either the Marco Polo or Marriot in Singapore. Me and the other Junior were refused entry for not wearing a tie.

A few streets aways was a street stall and, you guessed it, they sold ties - Garish Batik kipper ties which came with a matching hat!!

After carefully looking for the MOST garish (mine looked like "road smash" lasagna and the other engineers looked like blackberry crumble with custard, also road smash) we went back and were promptly allowed in! For a while, I used to take the tie ashore with me, just in case!

Rgds.
Dave